Dear Legislators and Policy Makers,
We, the undersigned members of the Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Council (ECTPC), composed of higher education professionals who support teacher preparation in early childhood education in community colleges and four-year universities across Washington State, strongly oppose House Bill 1648 in its current form. We urge legislators to oppose this bill unless these revision are made:
- An experienced-based competency or work equivalency option must include metrics and accountability that shows competency and growth as a professional. Without this added component, children would be relegated to substandard care.
Suggested revised language: “Demonstrate to the department experience-based competency after having worked in a licensed child care setting without a break in service for at least five years AND growth in core competencies as measured by a) application of knowledge of child development, b) responsiveness to families. c) use of collaborative strategies with other adults, d) use of culturally responsive assessment strategies, e) utilization of hands-on, age-appropriate curriculum.
“Demonstrated competence” means an individual has shown that he/she/they have completed the required skills necessary to nurture diverse children’s development. - Further investment in scholarships to widen access for providers to credit-bearing coursework with practicum experience. This gives providers an opportunity to pursue higher education as an option. Community-based pathways must also be culturally responsive and give multiple language options to expand access.
- Ensure that investment to early childhood education accompanies this bill that expands access to high quality education for all students, especially underserved populations.
We recognize the ongoing challenges of the early childhood education field and stand in solidarity with child care professionals, directors, family home childcare owners, who have struggled with hiring and retaining qualified educators, as well as liveable wages for themselves and their staff. As front line workers who provide the day-to-day services that support families and our economy, early childhood professionals are vital and deserving of respect and admiration. We also know that education, particularly higher education has not historically been equitable, and can be a barrier for educators who work long hours, make low wages, and do not have the social supports (child care, transportation) to attend classes, or may not have access to coursework that is relevant and meaningful and/or offered in their preferred languages.
And still, as higher education professionals who advocate for and support future educators to be changemakers and nurturing responsive caregivers to young children, we believe that education (formal or informal) is a lever of social change. While talented nurturers do exist, all early practitioners benefit from mentorship, coaching, opportunities for reflective practice, peer discussion and engagement with best practices.
Furthermore, Washington state has been recognized for its exceptional progress in adapting higher education to the needs of working adults students in early childhood education. For example, in recent years, courses have begun being offered in multiple languages at numerous colleges statewide. Since Covid, courses are increasingly offered on Zoom and fully online in order to address the barrier of commute that is an issue in rural areas and areas with high traffic levels, and the reality that many providers are working parents. While many students come to our programs simply to meet just the minimum requirement of their jobs, usually a short certificate of 12-20 credits, many stay on to pursue a full Associate or Bachelor’s degree as they feel themselves growing professionally and personally from this experience.
Teaching can be a lonely and isolating profession. While one spends the majority of their day with people, they are often in the company of students rather than peers. Education and professional development opportunities are one way to learn new skills, learn from others, ask for support, and reflect on how to do better. Experience alone does not ensure that an educator will have these opportunities. The majority of statewide common courses do have a practicum component required, ensuring students pair classroom learning with application. As mentioned earlier, if an experienced-based model replaces a credit-bearing or community-pathway option, we implore you to revise this bill with adequate measures of demonstrated competence which can be acquired through mentoring, reflective practice and coaching to ensure continuous improvement over time. Teaching is a skill meant to be honed. A complementary investment in early childhood education would ensure that all providers have access to these resources. As an analogy, experience riding as a passenger in a car doesn’t mean that one will be a good driver. Driving lessons play a vital role in ensuring that one knows the rules of driving, engage correctly in the mechanics of driving, and are able to make decisions that ensure the safety of everyone on the road. We also require that drivers be tested and have a driver’s license.
Our nation’s children, who will be our future leaders, voters, and decision makers, deserve early childhood professionals who have substantial knowledge of child development, who understand the key role they play in nurturing children, and who have the skills and mindset to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and positive social interactions. Educators play a pivotal role in shaping children’s future academic, social, and emotional success. Investment in early childhood is an investment in our nation’s future.
Rather than asking early learning professionals and small business owners to choose whether to keep their doors open and keep their jobs or pursue educational opportunities, we urge legislators to view the early learning field as a system that needs substantial, robust and institutionalized support to thrive. The question is not whether early childhood professionals need education or how many years they need to complete their education, but how can we ensure that early childhood education educators are treated as professionals with liveable wages in pay parity with K-12 teachers, access and opportunity to professional development, and a pathway to professional advancement? Recruitment and retention of early childhood professionals who care for our collective children should not focus on how many “bodies” we can get into classrooms, but how we create a culture where children are nurtured by educators who are nurtured by society.
Furthermore, in our highly stratified society, those who are economically and racially privileged can afford to send their children to private preschools with high quality ratings and experienced and credentialed educators, whereas those who have historically been underserved and forcefully marginalized are relegated to meager and substandard options. Do not further exacerbate inequalities by removing competency requirements, and address the larger issues at play. Ensure equitable investment and hold high expectations for providers in early childhood education which in turn gives EVERY child opportunities to thrive.
We urge the legislature to reject this bill in its current form and strongly suggest revisions that ensure that each and every child has access to nurturing, responsive, and equitable care. Research has demonstrated again and again how important nurturing caregivers are in the first five years of life. We need long term meaningful investments in early childhood education, childcare subsidies for families, higher compensation, and long-term workforce stability. Show children and educators that they matter by revising this bill.
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